


In the Court of the Fairy Kingdom

by lea_hazel



Series: Joan Watson and the Case of the Changeling Child [2]
Category: Elementary (TV)
Genre: Case Fic, Collection: Purimgifts Day 2, Community: purimgifts, Gen, POV Joan Watson (Elementary), Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-01
Updated: 2020-03-01
Packaged: 2021-02-19 03:35:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22971310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lea_hazel/pseuds/lea_hazel
Summary: Joan visits kindergarten.
Series: Joan Watson and the Case of the Changeling Child [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1674073
Comments: 1
Kudos: 7
Collections: Purimgifts 2020





	In the Court of the Fairy Kingdom

**Author's Note:**

  * For [strangeallure](https://archiveofourown.org/users/strangeallure/gifts).



It was easy enough for Joan to convince the school administrators that she was a curious parent considering their school for her child. She'd done it enough times before Arthur came into her life, so she knew the interaction by rote. She noted, but was not really surprised to find, that the friendly and cheerful admissions director was prepared to answer all of her questions, and more. She was clearly accustomed to dealing with involved parents, had suggested a tour of the facilities and even volunteered information about their screening process.

"A good teacher can make all the difference, at that age," she said, leaning forward over her desk, as though confidentially.

Joan put a good face on it and agreed cordially with everything she said. Making all the right noises, with a little extra token resistance, she was about to leave the admissions office when she turned back at the doorway, as though there was just one last thing she'd forgotten.

"Would you like to observe one of our teachers in class?" asked the director, her broadly smiling face full of sympathetic understanding.

She tried not to be taken aback, wondering what it would be like for Arthur to have a strange adult observing him in class. She tried not to wonder about two-sided mirrors. She tried to focus on the case.

"No," said Joan, "but I _would_ like to speak to one of your teachers. A recent hire, if possible." She smiled disarmingly, and refused to explain or justify.

"Well," said the administrator thoughtfully, "let me check my records, but I think our most recent addition to the staff was Cory Frye. He teaches one of the kindergarten classes. We take early education _very_ seriously."

"Where can I find Mr. Frye?" asked Joan, who had timed her visit to the school very carefully.

The administrator checked her wristwatch. "He should be wrapping up class in-- oh! Fifteen minutes ago. Time flies, doesn't it?"

Entering a kindergarten classroom, especially when it was empty, was a little bit like stepping through a ring of mushrooms into an alternate dimension. One that was brighter, more colorful, more vibrantly decorated than the outside world. Literacy and numeracy posters lined the walls. Chairs were arranged four-by-four around square tables, sized for five- and six-year-old bodies. Garlands of green crepe paper were strung everywhere, punctuated by flowers made of shiny paper, lovingly hand-cut. Next to the interactive board that was so common in the uptown schools was an old-fashioned whiteboard.

A man was standing at the whiteboard, back to her, with a box full of dry-erase markers in one hand, and an uncapped marker in the other. _Good Morning!_ was written across most of the board in big block letters, with tomorrow's date as the sub-header. The cheerful message was surrounded by a frame of flowers and butterflies, and completing the imagine, to one side, was a figure in an elaborate gown, with butterfly wings spreading out behind her and a star-tipped wand in one hand.

"Fairy godmother?" asked Joan.

He startled, almost dropping the box of markers, and turned to her. He seemed impossibly young, smooth-faced in a way that seemed more raw than clean-cut, with wide and earnest eyes. The scent of youthful idealism came off him in waves, like trendy artisanal cologne. He gathered himself quickly, setting the markers on the teacher's desk and pasting on a welcoming smile.

"Hi!" he said, with false cheer. "How can I help you?"

"Mr. Frye?" asked Joan. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. My name's Joan Watson, I'm a parent? I'd hoped I could ask you a few questions about the school."

He waved a hand broadly. "No problem. Of course. Please, have a seat."

He scrambled to find an adult-sized chair, and she took a seat opposite him.

"I'd be happy to answer any questions you have," said Cory, "but I'll be honest, I'm new to this school. I'm not sure how much I can tell you. If you'd like, I can put you in contact with--"

"No, no," she interjected. "I know you're a recent hire. Actually, that's exactly why I want to talk to you. I like to hear the teachers' impressions of the schools they work in, and how they compare to other working environments." She smiled. "This isn't your first teaching job, is it?"

"N-no," said Cory. "I have an employment record. You may have a hard time accessing it. It's-- it's under a different name."

"I see," said Joan, and didn't press the issue.

She complimented his decorating skills and watched him puff up a little with pride in his little kingdom, a transformation that let the children in his class view kindergarten not like a prison sentence but like a trip to a magical fairyland. He spoke at length about letting children be children and the importance of play alongside study, and made a point of saying something positive about each of his young students, though he conscientiously avoided mentioning any of their names. This was not a man who would let slip any personal information about the kids in his class, let alone the parents. She would have to tread carefully.

"What are the other parents like?" asked Joan. "I like to see parents involved in school activities, but some of the parents' chat groups I've seen are honestly--" She winced.

Cory smiled sympathetically. "Most of the parents are great. I've had a little push-back on the fairy tale theme--" he gestured broadly at the classroom-- "some parents seem to think they set a bad example. But for every parent who objects, there's another who's fully supportive. And the kids love it." He flashed a bright smile.

"Well, I think I would have _loved_ it here, as a kid," said Joan honestly.

He laughed and ducked his head. "That's the best possible compliment."


End file.
